Girls do better at school than boys, then struggle to attain the same achievement level as their male peers during their careers and remain at an economic disadvantage throughout their lives, a government study shows.

The plight women face upon entering the workforce was revealed in the first report on the status of women and girls compiled by the Council on Women’s Issues in the Council of Australian Governments, the main body for federal-state government coordination. Entitled “Tracking equity: Comparing outcomes for women and girls across Australia", the report was to assist the development of a national framework for gender equality.

It recommends an annual report on gender be undertaken against a set of yet-to-be agreed upon indicators to “ensure gender equity maintains its place as a matter of national priority".

The report found women were better academic performers, with girls starting school on the front foot, more developmentally prepared than boys, and going on to have a higher average school performance and more likely to complete year 12. The trend continued into tertiary levels where women under 30 were found to attain higher level qualifications than men. Yet on graduation, women’s average salaries remain 17.5 per cent or $266 per week below that of male graduates.

Around 65 per cent of women, 25 years to 29 years, completed education higher than a certificate III level compared with 63 per cent of men.

In 2012, 88 per cent of girls completed year 12 compared with 84 per cent of boys.

The workforce participation rate was lower for females, who also remain under-represented in leadership roles in the public and private sector.

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The chairman of the council, former Victorian premier
John Brumby
, said younger women’s educational gains showed “some cause for optimism" and signalled a generational change that would have flow-on benefits in other areas of reform. “Why is it when we have structured and supportive equality inherent in the education system, girls flourish, yet once out in the employment market, they have to fight to have their value realised?" he said.

Less than 3 per cent of ASX 500 companies were chaired by women, and women made up 29 per cent of parliamentarians.

Up to 39 per cent of women held senior executive roles in the Australian Public Service, despite making up 57 per cent of the workforce. Women occupied between 28 per cent and 40 per cent of senior executives positions in state and territory governments.

The lower pay led to smaller superannuation savings for women of around $87,532, or 36 per cent lower than men, and economic disadvantage disproportionately affected those from poorer backgrounds, with disabilities, and female carers.

Grattan Institute director
John Daley
said a key reason women lagged their peers in other countries in workforce participation was the cost of children, and incomes after tax and childcare costs. He said the dominant indicator of job prospects was maths skills.

Women from lower socio-economic areas suffered most, with 2011 data showing around 54 per cent of young women living in the most disadvantaged areas were employed or studying after leaving school compared with 82 per cent in the least disadvantaged areas.

“I suspect that continuing gap, which is, of course, a big deal, is one we are going to have to keep working on," he said. “We do have to continue to maintain the rage on maths. It matters more than we realise."

Mr Brumby said Australia simply couldn’t afford to waste the talents and perspective of half of its population in a highly competitive global environment.

“Any discussion about the future economic wellbeing of our nation will revolve around productivity – women make up half our population and are therefore half of the productivity story."

Another positive was that Australian women were generally living healthy and long lives, with the life expectancy well above the average in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

But this was with the exception of indigenous women, those from low socio-economic backgrounds and those living in and regional and remote areas.